Adjustable toilet tank flush valve



Jufly E8, 1967 w. E. WUSTNER ADJUSTABLE TOILET TANK FLUSH VALVE Filed May 25,, 1965 INVENTOR. WILL/AM f. WUST/VEI? ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,33l,%4 Patented July 18, 1967 3,331,034 ADJUTABLE TUHLET TANK FLUSH VALVE Williiam E. Wustner, 421 Sylvania Ave, Gienside, Pa. 19038 Filed May 25, 1965, Ser. No. 458,565 10 Claims. (Cl. 457) This invention relates to adjustable toilet tank flush valves.

In some areas and at some seasons of the year water shortages are serious and even necessitate imposing restrictions on water use.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an adjustable toilet tank flush valve which will permit of great saving of water by control of the discharge from the flush tank.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet tank fiush valve which will permit of partial or complete discharge of the flush tank as desired.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet tank flush valve in which a ball valve is employed with an outlet fitting, the ball valve having venting of the interior thereof and controlled water flow thereinto from the exterior to vary the buoyancy thereof and provide more rapid seating thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet flush tank valve of the ball valve type having built into the interior of the ball an adjustable valve for controlling the buoyancy of the ball, a manually accessible lever being provided on the exterior of the ball for effecting the adjustment.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet flush valve construction on which can be employed with existing installations or which is adapted for new construction.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide simple but effective venting provisions for a ball valve controlling tank flushing whereby, upon venting, the ball valve tends to fall to a seated position.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet flush valve construction with a manually operable control handle which upon slidable movement to one position provides full tank discharge or upon sl dable movement to another position provides only partial tank discharge.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readilly understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of a toilet flush tank having a preferred embodiment of the flush tank valve of the present invention incorporated therein;

' FIG. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, still further enlarged, taken approximately on the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the adjustable vent control valve removed from the valve ball.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like eral views.

The adjustable toilet flush tank valve construction of the present invention preferably includes, for use with a tank fitting, a hollow ball valve for controlling flow past a seat in the fitting. The valve ball, when raised from its seat tends to float. Provisions are made for adjustably venting the interior of the ball valve so that water from the tank can enter the ball valve and the tendency of the valve ball to float is thus overcome so that it falls to its seat and shuts off further flow from the tank. The venting provisions preferably include an oscillatable normal operating handle slidable to venting or nonventing positions to control an escape valve at the handle, and within the interior of the valve ball an adjustable vent control valve to regulate the entry of water into the valve ball.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a toilet flush tank It) is shown, having a rear Wall 11, a front wall 12, a side wall 13 and a bottom wall 14.

A fitting 15 of well known type is provided having a threaded section 16 held in place by a nut 17 engaging a washer 18 and having a delivery pipe 19 communicating with the hopper (not shown) of the toilet, below the valve seat 20.

The fitting 15 has an upright overflow pipe 22 of well known type carried thereby and connected below the valve seat 20 for discharge. A guide bracket 23 is adjustably mounted on the pipe 22 in a well known manner.

The tank 10 can have a water supply pipe 25 connected to a water supply valve 26 with a water delivery pipe 27 carried thereby and controlled by a float 28 in a well known manner, with a hush tube 29 extending down into the overflow pipe 22.

The fitting 15 as shown in FIG. 1, has a hollow valve ball 36, of rubber or the like, which seats on the valve seat 2% to prevent delivery of water unless and until the valve ball 30 is raised from the seat 20. The valve ball 39 has an adjustable vent control valve 32 mounted therein, the valve 32 being shown in detail in FIGS. 4-, 5 and 6.

A valve ball actuator rod 35 extending upwardly from the valve ball 30 and guided by the guide bracket 23, has an abutment 36 for engagement by an eye 37 of a link 38 which is pivotally engaged at its upper end in a lever 40. The lever 40 is mounted on an actuating shaft 41 which extends through a threaded sleeve 42. The sleeve 42 is held by a nut 43 on the front wall 12 of the tank 10.

The shaft 41 has a manual operating handle 44 thereon accessible at the exterior of the front wall 12. The shaft 41 has an enlargement 45 which is horizontally slidable in the sleeve 42 and has a longitudinal passageway 46 with a radial vent opening 47 controlled by its position with respect to a washer 48 held in the sleeve 42. An abutment collar 49 fixed on the shaft 41 limits sliding movement in one direction and the handle 44 has interior shoulders 50 which abut against the sleeve 42 and limit sliding movement in the other direction.

The shaft 41 has a tubular extension 51, communicating with the passageway 46, on which a flexible pipe 52 of synthetic plastic material is secured. The pipe 52 extends to a nipple 53 carried by the wall of the valve ball 30 at the upper part thereof and communicates with the upper interior of the valve ball 3%).

The adjustable vent control valve 32, in the valve ball 39, preferably includes an elongated housing 55 having a lower rim 56 with a groove 57 into which the lower margin of the valve ball 36 is carried. The housing 55 has a lower central opening 58 and a lower hollow cylindrical section 59 with an opening 6i) of varying height.

The housing 55 also has an upper hollow cylindrical parts throughout the sevextension 61 of smaller diameter with a shoulder 62 between it and the section 59. The extension61 has spaced exterior circular shoulders 63 and 64 between which the top of the ball 38 is seated.

A valve plug 65 is provided having a lower hollow cylindrical section 66 with a vertical slit 67 capable of being rotated with respect to the opening 60 to determine the effective orifice or opening between the interior of the cylindrical section 66 and the interior of the ball 30.

The valve plug 65 also has an upper cylindrical stem 68 disposed within and extending above the extension 61 into which the actuator rod 35 is threaded. A lever 69 mounted on the stem 68 and with a pin 70 holding lever 69 and stem 68 for movement together facilitates turning the valve plug 65 to the desired adjusted position of the slit 67 with respect to the opening 60.

The stem 68 can have a groove 71 with a packing 72, such as an O-ring, therein for preventing air leakage along the stem 68.

The rim 56 has a drain opening 73 for draining liquid from the ball 36 while it is seated on the valve seat 28.

The mode of operation will now be pointed out.

Assuming that tank is filled with water to a level determined by the fioat 2 8, it now it is desired to flush the toilet, the handle 44 is operated for this purpose.

If it is desired to discharge the entire contents of the tank 10 the handle 44 is moved horizontally outwardly so that the radial vent opening 47 is closed by the washer 48.

Upon turning of the handle 44 and the shaft 41 to which it is connected the lever 40 through the link 38 and actuator rod 35 will raise the valve ball 30 from its seat and permit water to be discharged through the fitting in a conventional manner.

The valve ball 30 will be buoyed up in the usual manner and will fall with the falling Water level in the tank 10. The valve ball 3t) will not be vented and will retain its maximum buoyancy.

If it is desired to discharge only part of the contents of the tank 10 and thereby conserve water, the handle 44 is moved horizontally inwardly to position the vent opening 47 clear of the washer 48.

Upon turning of the handle raised from its seat as before. The valve ball will, by reason of the position of the opening 47, have air discharged therefrom through the nipple 53, pipe 52, tubular extension 51, passageway 46 and opening 47. At the same time, and dependent upon the setting of the slit 67 with respect to the opening 60, water will enter the valve ball 30 through the hollow cylindrical section 66 of the valve plug 65, the slit 67 and the opening 60, and reduce the buoyancy of the valve ball 30. The valve ball 30 will thus move to closed position and engage the seat 20 before the entire contents of the tank 10 has been discharged.

The lever 69 permits of turning the valve stem 68 for adjustment of the rate of delivery of water into the interior of the valve ball 30.

After the valve ball 30 has been seated on the valve seat 20 any water therein will be drained out through the drain opening 73 so that upon the next actuation of the handle 44 either maximum or limited flushing can be selected and carried out.

Upon the completion of the desired flushing action Water will be supplied to the tank 10 through the water supply valve 26 to bring the level in the tank 10 back to that determined by the float 28.

I claim:

1. A toilet flush valve construction comprising a discharge valve fitting having a seat, a valve member for engagement with said seat and having a hollow interior por- 44 the valve ball 30 is tion and an opening in the bottom thereof, manually operable members for moving said valve member from said seat, and means for controlling the buoyancy of said valve member including a vent connection to the interior of said valve member and a valve assembly for controlling the delivery of Water from the tank into the interior of said valve member, said valve assembly interiorly disposed in said valve member,

2. A toilet flush valve construction as defined in claim 1 in which said valve member is a ball, and said vent connection is connected to the interior of said ball at the upper part thereof.

3. A toilet flush valve construction as defined in claim 1 in which said valve member is a ball, said vent connection is connected to the interior of said ball at the upper part thereof, said valve assembly having a manually operable adjusting portion.

4. A toilet flush valve construction as defined in claim 1 in which said manually operable members include portions for closing said vent connection.

5. A toilet flush valve construction as defined in claim 1 in which said manually operable portions include a manually operable rotatable handle, said handle is mounted for slidable movement, and members controlled by the slidable movement of said handle for controlling said vent connection.

6. A toilet flush valve construction as defined in claim 1 in which the members for moving said valve member include a lever, a handle connected to said lever and selectively movable to a plurality of positions, and members controlled by the positioning of said handle for control-' ling said vent connection.

7. A toilet flush valve comprising a valve ball, a valve member for controlling fluid flow into the interior of said valve ball, said valve member having a housing interiorly disposed in said valve ball with a lower fluid access opening, said housing having a port communicating with the interior of said valve ball, a valve plug movably mounted in said valve housing, said plug having a passageway therein and a port in communication with said passageway and said fluid access opening for movement to alignment with said housing port, and a manually accessible member for changing the relative positioning of said valve plug in said housing.

8. A toilet flush valve as defined. in claim 7 in which said housing has vertically spaced portions with which References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 379,159 3/1888 Harkins 4-56 420,327 1/1890 Blessing 461 614,648 11/1898 DEste et al. 415 1,263,534 4/1918 Curtin 4--57 2,869,141 1/1959 Koch et a1. 4--56 2,883,675 4/1959 Hartman 4-57 LAVERNE D. GEllGER, Primary Examiner.

H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner.

lever connected thereto for turning of. 

1. A TOILET FLUSH VALVE CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A DISCHARGE VALVE FITTING HAVING A SEAT, A VALVE MEMBER FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SEAT AND HAVING A HOLLOW INTERIOR PORTION AND AN OPENING IN THE BOTTOM THEREOF, MANUALLY OPERABLE MEMBERS FOR MOVING SAID VALVE MEMBER FROM SAID SEAT, AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE BUOYANCY OF SAID VALVE MEMBER INCLUDING A VENT CONNECTION TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID VALVE MEMBER AND A VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR CONTROLLING THE DELIVERY OF WATER FROM THE TANK INTO THE INTERIOR OF 